I do miss the good-old Tiong Bahru Food Centre, you know, that era even BEFORE the move.

That was when I would persuade my ah-ma to get some hot, steaming, fresh Crystal Dumplings (Shui Jing Bao) 水晶包. I loved that more than its ‘cousin’ of Soon Kway 笋粿 that just didn’t have that same elastic skin and crunchy fillings.

Today, Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Bao 中峇鲁聯發水晶包 is perhaps one of the few stalls that still make Crystal Dumplings chwee jia bao entirely hand-made.

In fact, it could be the only Crystal Dumpling specialty stall left in in Singapore.

It is one of the stalls that originated from the Seng Poh Road Market that opened in 1951. (Demolished in 2004, it was later renamed to Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre.)